Please send all ornaments by Friday, Nov. 18 to: Stacia McGourty, South Dakota State Library, 800 Governors Drive, Pierre, SD 57501. If you would like more information please contact via email or 605-773-6391.

Reinvent game night by bringing the game to life

Have you ever played a board game and wondered what it would be like if the world on the game board existed in real life? For a new spin on board games or game night at your library, try bringing some of the most beloved board games of all time to life! Monopoly, Candy Land, Clue, Sorry – you name it because the sky’s the limit. This idea can be adapted for just teens or for the whole family. Encourage people to sign up for the event so you know that you’ll have enough players or “cast” members. Volunteers can help make the “set” and dress up to make the event a real production. Ask a local thrift store to see if those who are going to be dressing up could raid their racks for extra flair pieces for costumes. And don’t forget – prizes or light refreshments are also a big draw!

2012 Letters About Literature Contest deadline is Jan. 6

Letters About Literature, a national reading and writing promotion program of the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, invites young readers in grades 4-12 to enter this year’s LAL letter writing competition. The contest challenges young readers to write a personal letter of reflection to an author explaining how that author’s work somehow changed the readers’ view of their world.

LAL awards prizes on both the state and national level in three competition levels: Level 1 for children in grades 4-6; Level 2 for children in grades 7-8; and Level 3 for children in grades 9-12. Six national winners will each receive cash awards and earn the opportunity to nominate a school or community library to receive a $10,000 LAL Reading Promotion grant. Twelve national honor winners will likewise receive cash awards and also nominate a school or community library to receive a $1,000 LAL Reading Promotion grant.

Teachers, librarians, and parents can download free teaching materials on LAL’s reader response and reflective writing program, including lesson plans, assessment checklists, and student writing samples by visiting the LAL website. Submission deadline is postmark Jan. 6, 2012. State winners will be notified in April 2012 and national winners by May 2012.

Wanted: Teen Read Week stories and photos

Teen Read Week was October 16-22, kicking off South Dakota’s 2012 Teen Choice Book Award contest. (Keep voting, by the way at library.sd.gov.) If your library held Teen Read Week events, we want to hear about it. Send your stories and photos to Jasmine Rockwell, email.

Want free books?

Starting Nov. 1, if Jasmine reviews a book sent to her by a publisher on her blog (No Vampires Allowed) you can have a chance at winning that book! Books sent by publishers will have a note at the end of the review saying that are up for grabs. Simply leave a comment on the books that appear beginning Nov. 1 with your name and the name of your library and one winner will be randomly chosen within two weeks of the original posting. Good luck!

The Cornerstone monthly e-newsletter is created by the South Dakota State Library. For more information on how to be a part of this newsletter, please contact us via e-mail with your questions and ideas.